A prominent donor to Sen. Barack Obama recently sent an e-mail plea to other supporters, asking them — for the sake of Democratic unity — to write checks to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to help retire her $23 million in campaign debt.

Some of the replies are unprintable, given the coarse language, the donor said.

Hmmm, guess a leopard can't change its spots at the drop of the hat -- even when dropped at the behest of the oratorical magnificent One.

The bitterness in the Clinton camp about the primary battle is well known, but several Clinton donors and campaign officials said a deeper issue remained unsettled: The belief — or, perhaps, the perception — that Obama and his aides are half-hearted in their efforts to help Clinton and include her top donors on his leadership team.

Hell, forget about the money; the bitterness from the bitter bitties is still raw from the dishonorable and dishonest campaign that's still going on.

In the meantime, Hillary Clinton has asked Robert Barnett, a "high-powered Washington lawyer...to help structure a political relationship between them for the general election" and protect her interests so she doesn't get fleeced.

According to several Democrats who have spoken to Barnett, he has counseled the Clinton camp that honey will work better than vinegar in the debt talks. But Clinton donors say it is an open question whether the Clintons believe they should play hardball — signaling that they will not rally enthusiastically behind Obama unless he does more on the debt situation — or appear agreeable with the expectation that the money will ultimately come through.

What, you thought all that unity was for free? You must be a fool...time to get out that rhetoric matters speech, er, money matters apologia that translates into cash.

So the debt is 20 million right? Why doesn't each of Hillary's "18 million supporters" go and give her a dollar...that's right one dollar. She would only have 2 million left. Have you given to Hillary's relief fund?